1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus for communicating data such as image data and character code data.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional apparatus of this type such as a facsimile machine for communicating image data, received data is temporarily stored in a memory, and after the communication, the received data in the memory is printed out by an operator action.
In such an apparatus, an operator at the sending station cannot know whether an operator at a receiving station has received the data or not, and if the operator at the sending station wants to know whether the operator at the receiving station has received the data, the former operator has to confirm it by telephone conversation. In a personal communication in which data is to be sent to only a particular receiver, the confirmation of data receipt is frequently required.
In the U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 913,997, 914,652 and 070,777 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the received data is stored in the memory and the data in the memory is recorded after the completion of the reception.
In the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 834,780 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the received data is recorded while it is stored in the memory, and when the record is completed, a message acknowledge (confirmation) signal (MCF) of the facsimile communication protocol is sent to a sending station. In the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 834,780, the line is occupied until the record is completed and a long communication time is required.